Heel-plate.



H. G. ROBINSON.

HEEL PLATE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20, 1914.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

A TTOR/VE Y8 UNITED sr'r HUGH GRANT .ROBINS ON, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

HEEL-PLATE.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915..

Application filed August 20, 1914. Serial No. 857,681.

To all who/a it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH GRANT ROBIN- :50), a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oakland, in'the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented a. new and Improved Heel-Plate, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact d scription.

The invention relates to wear plates for the heels of boots and shoes, to equalize the. wear on the heel by application to the latter.

' at the zone or area of greatest wear.

Objects of the invention are to provide a .wear plate that will;eliminate the rasping ment to any desired size and shape to adapt.

.it to be applied at any desired point on the shoe heel, and quickly and easily secured in place and as readily removed when worn, to

be replaced by a new one.

The invention will be particularly explained in the specific description following.

Reference-isto be had to the accompany.-

' ing drawings forming a part of this speci- .fication, 1n whlch similar characters of ref-' erence indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a wear plate embodying my invention in use at aworn portion of the shoe-heel; Fig. 2

is a perspective view of a Wear plate embodying the invention of a slightly different shape from that illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. '3 is a perspective view of the-"strip or body, of said wear plate, the insert be-.

ing omitted; Fig. 4 is a cross section of the complete wear plate illustrated in Fig.--2;

Fig. 5v is a perspective view of a slightly.-'.

different form of awear plate; and Fig. 6 is a cross section of still 'anotherform.

My improved wear plate comprises a body or strip 10 of'soft rubber; the same may be bodily curvedyas in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The strip is formed with a groove 11 in the face thereof, longitudinally of the strip, the walls of which overhang or are under out. In the case of the curved strip the groove follows In the form shown 1 the curvature of the strip; and the rear wall 12 conforms to the curvature of a heel a of a boot or shoe A, so that the exterior surface 13 may form a continuation of the lateral heel surface.

' In connection with the strip 10 an insert 14. is employed, of a cross section, and of a length to conform to and fill the groove 11. As best seen in Fig. i, the insert 14 has in corporated therein, spaced layers 15, which are of canvas or similar fabric. The edges of the fabric layers '15 terminate at the face of the .wear plate, and the said layers adj acent to the face, are disposed at an angle to the said face. The layers of fabric in the insert 14; alternate with layers of rubber, and the character of the combined insert is.

such as to give the same less resiliency and more stability than the resilient strip 13. With the layers offabric disposed as described, edges thereof will be presented at the wear surface at all times; the layers thus have the effect of preventing slipping and.

. eliminating jars as well as the rasping noise incident to the use of metallic plates. Referring particularly to Fig. 4:, it will be observed that the outermost-layer 15 of the fabric is comparatively close to the rear wall 12 of the stri thereby bringing the said outer layer of abric as close as possible to the back surface of theheel, to offer its wear-resisting qualities at the point of greatest wear. In. practice, Iv first form the insert complete, and then mold the soft rub- .ber about the same, the whole being molded to the desired shape and vulcanized; if desired, the finished device can'be out to vary. the shape and size. v

v 'n Fig. 5, the resilient strip 10 is essentially straight, and the insert 14? is correspondingly straight. It is to be understood that the body and strip are otherwise formed as described in connection withFigs. 1130 4.

In the form shown in 6, the strip 10 is of the same character as in the forms above described, rubber.

In both. 'ofthe forms shown in Figs. 5and 6 the strip. isdovetailed, the Walls bei-n straight, while in FigsI, 2 to 4, the insert an r the walls of the strip are given'roundin lines at the overhanging portions instead 0 the more;strictly dovetail form shown.- in

.- Figs". 5, and, 6. The-.strips'formed as 'deand the insert 14- is of hard scribed may be produced in any desired-size',;.

and'thej'y may be cutin order to fashion worn portion of a shoe heel.

In applying the wear plate, shoe nails 18 or equivalent fasteners (Fig. 1) may be employed and driven through the insert from the face thereof, and through the bottom resilient wall 16 of the strip. The character of the insert is such as to prevent the nails from Working through the insert and therebythe plate will be securely held in position. v

' Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and/desire to secure by Letters Patent:'

l. A Wear plate for boot and shoe heels,

comprising a strip of soft rubber formed Y with a groove therein extending from end to end of the strip,\the side walls of the groove overhanging, and an insert less resilient than the strip and conforming to the over hanging walls thereof, the face of the strip and insert being flush, the insert being adapted to receive fasteners, and the outer surface of the strip being adapted to conform to the lateral surface of a heel.

2. A wear plate comprising a strip of soft rubber curved bodily in the direction of length of the strip and having a groove following the curvature of the strip, the Walls of the groove overhanging, and the outer wall presenting a curve corresponding with the curved lateral surface of a shoe or boot 3. A Wear plate for boot and 'shoe heels comprising a'strip. of soft rubbercurved bodily in the direction of the strip and formed with a groove therein following the curvature of the strip and extending from end to end thereof said strip presenting a back surface rounding to conform to the rear surface of the heel, and an insert less resilient than the strip and filling said groove.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HUGH GRANT ROBINSON.

Witnesses O. K. BARNDOLLAR, MYRTLE H. LENT. 

